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Labor availability was the biggest factor affecting company productivity and efficiency in the past 12 months, according to 58 percent of PMPs who participated in the PCT survey. This influenced companies’ ability to service existing accounts and grow the business.

To attract and retain workers, some pest control companies improved employee benefits. Nineteen percent of PMPs said enhanced benefits had an impact of company productivity and efficiency.

The benefits at Pestco Professional Services are a “selling point,” said Bob Wiemer, executive general manager of Pestco Professional Services in Pittsburgh, Pa., and Enviro-Master industrial hygiene services in Pittsburgh and Cleveland, Ohio. “We have the best benefits in our market area for our employees and we always extol those virtues whenever we have a prospective candidate,” he said. Wiemer also reduced the waiting period for benefits from 90 to 30 days and “quite honestly I waive it to nothing,” he said, to secure new hires.

An efficient, office-centric operation has helped Insight Pest Management attract and retain employees. Technicians and office staff connect by phone six times a day. The office staff handles customer calls, scheduling and special requests, which lets technicians focus on what they do best: solving pest problems.

“We run it more like a coach out in the field watching the plays throughout the day so if somebody is running behind, calls are being rescheduled, stops are being adjusted,” said Israel Alvarez, the company’s owner. His team makes changes in real time instead of learning about issues late in the day.

Hiring the right people from the start is key to improving productivity, while being efficient reduces chaos, which is key to retaining employees, said PMPs.

You want the company to run like a “well-oiled machine” and for employees to know “we have each other’s backs,” said Carl Braun, owner of Quality Pest Control.

“Know your team. Trust them. Show them respect. Don’t micromanage. Keep your team happy, and they’ll move mountains to help you become more efficient and productive,” he said.